YSL “The Street and I” Collection

YSL Beauty is a recent discovery of mine, and so far I like what I’m seeing (and using)! I’ve used their fragrances before (Black Opium is a favourite of mine) and of course I’ve tried the famous Touché Éclat, but I’ve never had a chance to just dive into the beauty range and explore it. YSL Beauty opened a standalone boutique store in Sandton City last year which offers a variety of their make-up items as well as the Le Vestiaire Fragrance range (I am dying for the Caban variant!). The recent limited edition goodies that I got to try out are from “The Street and I” collection- I played around with the “Keep An Eye On Me” couture palette and the “Kiss&Blush Lip Duo”, and here are my thoughts!

The “Keep An Eye On Me” palette grabs your attention from the first time that you lay eyes on it- the packaging is to die for! Encapsulating the shades of the street – from graffiti grey to pop-art pinks and oranges – the outer casing of the palette at once excites and engages.

Inside, audacious and different, a combination of colours designed to intrigue the urban artist. A shimmering pale pink to bring light under the brow; a hard city grey for lining or creating a smoky eye; a flash of orange, a duo of pinks to brighten up the evening cityscape.

The palette comes with 2 little sponge applicators that I immediately threw out- they are just an annoyance if you ask me, and kept falling out of the palette when I play with it. The 5 colours in the palette at first scared me, but when I played around with them, I loved it!

I used the top left light pink as a base, went into the upper lid with the bottom bright pink, and added the orange into the crease and on my tight line.

I did use the shimmery white shade to highlight, but that was the only disappointment in the palette. The white shade is just not pigmented and there is a lot of fall out with the glitter, so I suggest using another shade to highlight under the brow. The other 4 colours are great though, nice pigmentation and smooth application. I will definitely try this look again and I loved the warmer, red tones on my eyes a lot more than I expected! Great for a night out, paired with a winged liner. The palette retails at R755, which is a bit steep for a 5-pan, but the gorgeous packaging makes it worth it(especially if you like the collectables).

The second item that I tired from the range is the Baby Doll Kiss&Blush Duo Stick.

Inspired by the Baby Doll Kiss & Blush Lip and Cheek, a new member of the family takes centre stage. Two colours, playful and enigmatic, to be used singly or blurred together, in a compact balm that glides easily over lips, or cheeks or both. It has a smooth matte finish which I really enjoyed. Irresistible, fresh, it’s twice as much fun with endless makeup finish possibilities. This way, that way, or vice versa!

When I first looked at this product I was like “I’m never going to use it”, but actually it’s amazing! It’s very subtle- you can only really see the difference in the shades if you look closely in the colour that I have (Number 6, from Prude to Nude).The duo-toned lip is such a is trend, and if you are a little scared of trying it out (like I was) then start with the nude and rose shades like this one!

It applies onto the lips nicely and you can easily blend the colour into 1 by rubbing your lips together. This shade transfers to a dusty pink, and I have been loving wearing it on the weekends. You can also use it as blush, but I am not a fan of cream blushes on my skin, so I haven’t tried it like that.

Overall it’s a great multi-tasking product that I would recommend adding to your collection, and at R415 it’s not a bad price for the fact that you are getting a lipstick and a blush in one.

The collection is available at the YSL Boutique in Sandton City, so hurry while stocks last!